evacuate

verb evac·u·ate \ i-ˈva-kyə-ˌwāt , -kyü-ˌāt \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: evacuate in a Sentence

Definition of evacuate

evacuated; evacuating

transitive verb

1 : to remove the contents of : empty

2 : to discharge from the body as waste : void

3 : to remove something (such as gas or water) from especially by pumping

4 a : to remove especially from a military zone or dangerous area

b : to withdraw from military occupation of

c : vacate 1

were ordered to evacuate the building

intransitive verb

1 : to withdraw from a place in an organized way especially for protection

2 : to pass urine or feces from the body

—

evacuative

play \i-ˈva-kyə-ˌwā-tiv, -kyü-ˌā-\ adjective

See evacuate defined for English-language learners

See evacuate defined for kids

Examples of evacuate in a Sentence

People who live along the coast are being evacuated as the hurricane approaches.
During World War II, children were evacuated from London to the country.
Residents were ordered to evacuate the building.
Residents have been ordered to evacuate.

Recent Examples of evacuate from the Web

Nearly 400 seasonal and permanent homes have been evacuated because of the fire near the Colorado border.

— CBS News, "Houses burn "like dominoes" as wildfires menace U.S. West," 14 June 2018
Nearly 1,400 homes have been evacuated, but no structures have been lost as of Wednesday evening.

— alexandra deabler, Fox News, "Couple uses blazing 416 Fire as wedding photo background," 13 June 2018
Of the approximate 170 workers there, around 150 requested screening and eight have been evacuated to the University of Pennsylvania for further testing.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "US pulls two more from Cuba amid puzzling health cases now affecting China," 11 June 2018
More than 12,400 people have been evacuated since Sunday, and more than 4,000 were staying in shelters.

— anthony harrup, WSJ, "Guatemalan Volcano Emits More Ash, Rock as Death Toll Rises," 8 June 2018
The few ranches and residences along DeSpain Ranch Road have been evacuated, and shelter is available at Martinez Hall at the Navajo County Fairgrounds.

— kelsey mo, azcentral, "Brush fire in Navajo County up to 1,500 acres, zero containment," 5 June 2018
Sixty-nine people are reported dead, most of them residents of the villages that dot the volcano's slopes, according to CNN, and 3,000 residents have been evacuated.

— sebastian modak, Condé Nast Traveler, "Deadly Volcanic Eruption in Guatemala Disrupts Travel to Area," 5 June 2018
At least 2,000 residents near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been evacuated.

— nancy trejos, USA TODAY, "Where should you travel in June? Here are some ideas.," 1 June 2018
Nearby homes have been evacuated as police and SWAT attempt to resolve the situation.

— chelsea prince, ajc, "BREAKING: Clayton County standoff prompts evacuations," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evacuate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.